A Missing Moment
by HAFanForever
Summary: "Timberly Loves Arnold" was the episode where Arnold's crush on Lila finally came to an end, but unlike past episodes dealing with the crush, Helga did not appear in this one. I took the liberty of making a change to that with this little story. ;)
1. Timberly Loves Arnold

**Before I start my new story, I wanted to say that I'm sure many of you ArnoldxHelga fans, like me, have noticed that Helga did not appear in "Timberly Loves Arnold." It was a moment different from the other times when Arnold is crushing on Lila, because another person comes into the picture: Timberly, who develops a crush on Arnold.**

**Other episodes show that when Arnold is crushing on Lila, Helga would be standing alone in the back in a jealous fit. But it's interesting that she never appeared in this episode, because how would she feel if she saw that Arnold was caught in the middle with two girls: Lila (his current crush) and Timberly (who also develops a crush on him, despite that it is silly and short-lived, ending by the end of the episode)?**

**And more importantly, it's apparent she never learned from this that Arnold's crush on Lila ends at the very end of the episode. So that also brings up the question: how exactly would she react if she knew that? Of course, we know she'd be well over the moon about it, but figuring out her exact reaction is interesting…**

**Moving on, this little one-shot I have here is my interpretation of Helga's thoughts and dialogue (through her POV) if she had appeared in the episode, but was in the background somewhere, stalking Arnold and the girls as the three of them hung out together, first overhearing his plan of using Timberly to make Lila like him, ending with her hearing from Arnold's own mouth that his crush on Lila is over.**

**I was further inspired by several other "lost/interpretative story" ideas, including IAmAubrie's "The Lost Episode," SuprSingr's and NintendoGal55's "Arnold Loves Helga" and "Escalating Love," SuprSingr's "Helga's Confession: Arnold's Perspective," NintendoGal55's "First Kiss," and Azure129's "A Walk to Imagine."**

**So enjoy this interpretation of the missing moment with Helga from "Timberly Loves Arnold"!**

* * *

I raced to the vacant lot, though I knew I was late by now and the game was probably over.

Today, my class was supposed to play baseball against the fifth graders at Gerald Field, but I had a dentist appointment and couldn't make it.

I told my classmates this the other day before the game, though I'm sure none of them cared, and I didn't really care if I didn't see them that afternoon or not. I said to them that getting a cavity filled was a lot more fun than hanging around with a bunch of losers like them.

Of course, missing the game meant being away from the one person who is always in my heart, no matter where I was.

Arnold.

While he still didn't know my secret, I couldn't bear being away from him ever, even when our home lives purposely kept us apart.

Fortunately, my dentist appointment ended a little sooner than I thought, and when I saw the time, I knew the game was just about over, but I thought I could stop by the field and see if Arnold was still there.

And, of course, I would stay out of sight so that no one from my class would see me watching Arnold.

* * *

I raced over to the field as fast as I could, and I saw that the crowd consisting of my classmates was starting to disperse. That disappointed me, since it meant the game was over. But I looked further ahead and thought I could see Arnold. I walked a little closer to the field before I made up my mind.

"Yes, it's him! He's still there!" I exclaimed happily, still making sure no one was around to see me.

I walked a little closer to the field to see Arnold and watch him from a distance, making sure to do so in a way that I could remain out of sight.

But when I got the closest I could to the field before my presence was noticeable, I could see that Arnold was sitting down on the field, and right next to him was the very person whom I considered the bane of my existence.

"_Lila!"_ I growled furiously, gritting my teeth with all the rage I was carrying in me at the moment.

But I took an even closer look and noticed that Arnold didn't just have Lila next to him. There was a little girl there, too, who looked about four or five. What she was doing with Arnold, I sure wanted to know.

Before I could think more about what I saw before me, I saw Gerald nearby as well. By now, all of our other classmates were gone, and I wanted to listen in on this, so I ducked behind one of the corners of the wall that surrounded the field, just enough so I could hear what could be said.

As she placed her hand on Arnold's forehead, Lila asked him, "Are you quite certain you're all right, Arnold?"

I scowled at what I saw Lila doing. "How dare Lila touch Arnold affectionately after always saying she didn't like him like him and she didn't want him touching her!"

"I'm fine," Arnold answered glumly.

"I'm ever so sorry that you lost," Lila said after she removed her hand from his head.

"Yeah, I really didn't play my best game." Arnold rubbed his forehead, then looked down at the ground.

"I'll say you didn't!" Gerald exclaimed as he walked towards them, with Arnold, Lila, and the other girl looking at him as he spoke to Arnold. "What game were you watchin', man?"

"Oh, hi, Gerald," Arnold said as Lila and the other girl helped him to his feet.

Lila quickly looked at the watch on her left arm. "Gosh, look at the time! I'd better be going, Arnold." She looked back at Arnold, who now had the little girl holding his left arm. "Why don't you and Timberly meet me tomorrow and we'll go to the museum?"

"The museum?" Gerald asked quizzically.

"Okay," Arnold answered eagerly.

The girl, whose named I heard was Timberly, took Lila by the hand and they started walking together as Timberly started talking. "Come on, Lila. Walk me home. I'll tell you more stories about how wonderful Arnold is."

"I'm oh too certain I'd enjoy that, Timberly," Lila replied, and they both giggled and were soon far away enough that I could no longer hear them.

Gerald walked up to Arnold and said in a frustrated tone, "I told you to get rid of Timberly! What happened?"

"Well…uh, I was about to tell her…and then Lila came walking up, and…she really liked Timberly, and said that it was cool that I was hanging out with your little sister, and..."

"Arnold, are you thinkin' what I think you're thinkin'?"

"I don't know. What do you think I'm thinking?"

"That hangin' out with my little sister's gonna suddenly make Lila like you like you?"

"The thought did cross my mind."

"Arnold, how many times does she have to tell you? She doesn't like you like you! She just likes you."

"But…" Arnold stopped there, sounding as if he was defeated in arguing with Gerald, who then turned around and left, leaving Arnold the last person standing at the field. But it wasn't long before Arnold left to go home himself.

* * *

Well, after overhearing everything that just went out, you can imagine what I was thinking right then! I was so mad that I frowned and clenched my fists, feeling ready to hit something that came my way.

"I cannot believe what I'm seeing! Gerald's little sister actually has a crush on Arnold? After all the bad luck he's had with girls, especially _Lila_, I never thought I'd see the day when someone else besides me would actually really like Arnold! You know, the other day, I could have sworn I heard some of the other kids mentioning how some other girl in our school liked Arnold like they were boyfriend and girlfriend, but I wasn't ready to believe it unless I saw it. And now here it is!" I clenched my fists and growled again, unwilling to believe what was happening when I wasn't even around. Then I got control of myself and decided to calm down. "However, I probably shouldn't have to worry about it. I've heard Gerald mention to Arnold how childish his sister acts, so there's no way she loves him the way I do, and it doesn't seem like Arnold is interested in her like that as well."

"But at the same time…" I exclaimed to myself again, becoming more agitated than before. "That little football-headed jerk! That creep! I can't believe he'd stoop so low and actually resort to taking advantage of Gerald's little sister's crush on him and using her to try and make Lila like him like him! How desperate can he be to have Lila reciprocate his feelings, when it's obvious that his reasons for like liking her are 'ever so' simple and shallow? Heck, he probably got hit in the head because Timberly and Lila were in the stands cheering for him, and Arnold was paying attention to Lila, having fallen into a lovesick trance, when he didn't see the ball and it hit his head instead of him catching it!"

I scowled again, but this time with a little smile in it. "Well, this time around, I'm going to follow Arnold and these girls around tomorrow, but maybe if I just sit idly by, Arnold's relationships will end faster, as none of my previous evil schemes done to him and Lila and all of those other girls ever worked. I'll just take fate into my own hands in that way, and _that_ could work its magic on driving Arnold away from Lila _and_ Timberly!"

I rubbed my palms together eagerly, and then I started to laugh evilly and made it louder with each chuckle, though I hoped that no one would see or hear what I was doing.

* * *

The next morning, during the later hours, I left my house (not that my family would really notice that I left) and headed over in the direction of Arnold's house to see when he would be leaving.

When I was close to Mr. Green's butcher shop, I saw a figure walking out onto the stoop of the boarding house and I could see that it was Arnold. Determined to remain out of sight, I walked behind parked cars and ducked behind alleys between buildings all the way as I followed Arnold over to Gerald's house as he went to get Timberly, and I continued doing this as they made their way to the museum.

Once they reached the front steps of the museum, Lila was standing there on the front steps, waiting for them. I ducked behind a pillar near the entrance and watched all three of them go inside. Timberly skipped ahead in front of them, humming a dopey, childish song while Arnold and Lila walked into the museum together.

I scowled as I watched them go in before they disappeared from my sight. "Arnold, what a dope, what a fool, stuck in the middle between two girls. One who has a stupid, silly crush on him, and another on whom he has a big la-dee-dah crush just because she's always so kind, pretty, and funny! But, then again…" Then I pulled out my locket. "Oh, Arnold, my sweet football-headed sweetheart! Why must you, once again, exhibit the feelings of an unrequited crush and try so hard to have them reciprocated? Don't you ever give up in trying to get Lila to like you like you? How many times does she have to tell you that she doesn't like you that way? Just because she may come off as the perfect girl, that doesn't mean she's the perfect girl for you! Like I said once before, I may not be like Lila, but that doesn't matter because I love you so!" Looking up at the sky now, I thought I could see a cloud shaped like Arnold's head. "Why can't Arnold wake up and realize that _I'm_ the one for him, despite my flaws and rough, tough exterior? He doesn't know how good he really has it; no other girl could EVER love him the way I do!"

As soon as finished that sentence, I heard a very familiar sound. It sounded like…heavy breathing…like someone…wheezing…

Brainy suddenly appeared behind me, like he always did, and I expected nothing more, nothing less. Still wheezing, he managed to say, "Uh…hi."

Then I did what I always did after I caught him breathing behind me. I socked him right between the eyes, and then he fell to the ground (complete with broken glasses).

Once my work was done there, I went inside the museum, determined to see what was going on between Arnold and the girls, though I was also determined to remain hidden from them.

Little did I know that this day would start off seeming like a total nightmare for me, but it ended in being one of the best days of my life in regards to my love for Arnold.

* * *

Almost every moment when I saw Arnold with the girls in the museum, Timberly was just running around, humming her silly tune while Arnold and Lila were actually looking at the artworks together.

One particular moment I did notice was where Arnold and Lila were standing together looking at the big paintings in one gallery. I was in the open gallery next door and I saw everything going on. Timberly was still running around, carrying a toy fan. When Arnold was looking at the art with Lila, Timberly ran up to them and stood between them as she put the spinning toy fan right in his face.

While he seemed surprised by it, even though he knew she was in the gallery with them, I also thought he might be a little annoyed that she just came up to them out of the blue like that, interrupting the moment between him and Lila, and with Timberly in between them, he was no longer standing right beside Lila.

But that wasn't all they did that day, no sir.

* * *

Arnold and the girls went to Dino Land next, though I was a little surprised at that, since it had many rides Lila didn't like, as I remembered back to the Cheese Festival, when she said she got sick on the big rides.

Anyway, I'd been sneaking into Dino Land since I was seven, so this time, I still had no trouble.

Arnold and the girls got onto the roller coaster first, and were the only people in the car. I ducked behind some bushes that were near the tracks. At first, I thought I could only see Arnold and Lila in the car, but almost before the ride, started, Timberly popped up between them. Though it happened fast, I could clearly see a look of annoyance on Arnold's face.

During the time they were in the ride, I rubbed my hands together and grinned evilly. "Oh, I see the football head is annoyed at Timberly for getting between him and Lila. Perhaps he's worried that his plan isn't working so well after all? I mean, seriously, how long can he keep this up? It's clear Lila wouldn't go out with him unless Timberly was with them. He'll get tired of being a threesome eventually. There's no way he can keep this up for long."

Soon the ride was over and Timberly was the first one to get out, running eagerly and humming to herself _again_. But Arnold was helping Lila get out of the car. She looked very green in the face, and almost immediately, she turned around and threw up twice in the car.

Arnold placed his hand on her shoulder, which was more likely out of concern, but I also wondered if he was a little annoyed about it, thinking she ruined some of the fun, and that she wouldn't dare go on another roller coaster with him again. It reminded me, again, of the time at the Cheese Festival, when she threw up on him. Thinking of that made me ask out loud to myself, "I mean, seriously, he said it was okay then, but how could he not even be inwardly disgusted that she vomited on him? I know he was more concerned, but he has to be even a little disgusted at that!"

There was one more place they went (and where I followed them) before the day was over.

* * *

During one moment at the zoo, Arnold and Timberly were looking at the giraffes, which were nuzzling up together. I was hiding behind some bushes located on the side of the exhibit, watching the both of them. Lila was getting a drink over at the water fountain.

At one point, I noticed Arnold looking at the giraffes, then he looked over at Lila. His gaze became half-lidded and lovesick, then he looked back at the giraffes, and I was willing to bet that he was looking at them in a way that he pictured him and Lila in that position together.

That made me feel sad for a moment. Despite that Arnold liked Lila for simple and shallow reasons, he seemed very determined to get her to change her mind and he wouldn't give up, no matter what.

"What if he never changes his mind about her, despite what she says? What if I'm never able to tell my true feelings to him? And yet, why DOESN'T Lila like him like him? Does she think she doesn't need him as much as I do, especially since she still knows my secret? Maybe the fact she constantly rejects him should give me the belief that there _is_ hope for Arnold and I. Maybe…I don't really know…"

I snapped out of my monologue when I heard Timberly say Arnold's name out loud, as if she had said it before and he did not hear her. I thought I could hear her saying something about a friend before, but I wasn't really listening, either.

"Arnold!" Timberly said, and was now grabbing his arm as he looked at her. "Did that ever happen to you, Arnold?"

"Uh, di-did what happen?" Arnold stuttered, trying to regain his composure.

"Did anyone ever really hurt your feelings?"

Arnold sadly looked over at Lila, then back at Timberly, and his expression clearly said yes. I knew he was thinking about the time Lila rejected him the time he realized that he did have a crush on her, though he initially didn't. He couldn't deal well with rejection, and that was part of why I still couldn't bring myself to tell Arnold the truth about my feelings for him. I do such a good job of hiding the truth of how much I love him, but I love him so much and he's the one thing I want more than anything. I can't bear the idea or possibility of him rejecting me.

Once Lila left the water fountain and came over to Arnold and Timberly, it wasn't long before the three decided it was time to go home.

* * *

I had lost track of the time during these hours that I followed Arnold and the girls around all day. My feet were getting sore from all the walking, but I wasn't done yet. I still wanted to see if anything came from Arnold's plan, so if I had to keep following him until I learned something, then that's what I would do.

"Man!" I exclaimed to myself as I followed Arnold and the girls to Gerald's house, though I was far away from them so they wouldn't think I was really following them. "I never thought stalking Arnold would result in so much walking! My feet are killing me!"

But I kept walking towards them, and when I was close enough to them before they could see me, I ducked behind a bush near the steps of Gerald's house. It was hard to get comfortable so I could still hide, but I was able to see and hear all that happened during the next few minutes.

* * *

"Bye, you guys. I had so much fun." Timberly, who was holding a balloon, waved to Arnold and Lila as she ran up the steps to her house and went inside.

"Bye, Timberly." Lila waved back, then turned to Arnold, who was holding Lila's toucan hat she got at the zoo. "Arnold, are you walking my way?"

"Oh, _now_ she wants to walk home with him?" I asked myself, then my face dropped and I sighed sadly. "Maybe his plan is working after all. Maybe she is starting to like him like him," I sighed again. "It was just meant to happen, I guess."

Even while I was talking to myself, I noticed Arnold, who had a happy look on his face. He looked at the door, as Timberly must have been waving to him from there. Then he looked back at Lila, though he was now wearing a semi-glum expression. "Uh, no. I have something I gotta take care of. I'll see you tomorrow, Lila."

"All right. Bye, Arnold."

The moment I saw and heard Arnold's answer, my face just about lit up. "What's this? Arnold _actually_ turned down an offer to walk Lila home? Oh, I must stay and hear what's coming next! Maybe he's finally going to break the truth to Timberly because, being the do-gooder he is, there's no way he can keep doing something as dishonest as this." I chuckled to myself, waiting for Arnold's next move.

He knocked on the door and Timberly quickly opened it. "Timberly, can we talk a minute?"

"Sure, Arnold. After all, you're my boyfriend. We can talk all you want."

I shook my head in disgust. "Ugh, I can't believe she has the nerve to actually call Arnold her boyfriend and she believes she's his girlfriend." But I stopped talking to myself so I could continue listening. At the same time, even though I was paying attention to him, I could also see Lila heading back in his direction. I thought to myself, _She must have forgotten her hat, as I didn't see her take it. Oh, man. What if she hears everything that Arnold will say now_? Although I was watching her, I also paid sharp attention to Arnold and Timberly.

"You wanna sit down?" Arnold sat down on the steps, then Timberly followed as Arnold began talking. "Timberly, I know you think I'm your boyfriend, but I'm really not. I mean, I like you, and I think you're really nice. But you're in the first grade. I'm a lot older than you, and I kinda need to be with girls that are more my age, like Lila. In fact, I meant to tell you that I wasn't really your boyfriend, but then Lila showed up, and said she thought it was great that I was hanging out with you. So, I thought that if we all started hanging out together, she might want me to be her boyfriend or something. But I guess I was kind of using you to make Lila like me. That was wrong. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this a long time ago. I'm really sorry, Tim."

As I heard the words of Arnold's monologue, especially the last couple of sentences, I thought how bold he was to tell Timberly the truth and I was shocked how he willingly admitted the wrong he did in using Timberly. But I also was worried about Timberly's response to him. What would she say?

Almost immediately after he finished, Timberly finally spoke up, "Do you like regular or blueberry waffles?"

"Huh?" Arnold asked quizzically, sounding just about as stunned as I was at that moment.

"Gerald and Jamie-O like blueberry, but I only eat blueberry when we're out of regular. And did you ever notice that frozen waffles fit right into the toaster? Do you think they make them like that on purpose?" Timberly asked.

"I…I…I guess so," Arnold answered, still sounding very stunned at the big change of subject from Timberly.

"Anyway, talking about waffles makes me hungry. I'll see you later, Arnold," Timberly stood up from the seat and walked back into the house, then peeked out from the door. "You don't have to be my boyfriend anymore if you don't want to." Then she slammed the door.

"But…" Arnold stuttered and stared at the door, obviously now more stunned than before.

"Arnold…?" A voice said Arnold's name that he and I knew belonged only to Lila.

Arnold quickly turned around and saw her right at the base of the steps. "Lila?" he exclaimed in surprise and puzzlement.

Looking at him and clasping her hands together, Lila admitted, "I certainly didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just came back for my toucan hat, and I'm afraid I heard everything." She wore an expression of what seemed to be sadness and disappointment. "Just…everything."

Just at the moment that I said to myself, "Oh, man, she must think he's a real creep now," Arnold looked down at his shoes and said, "You must think I'm a real creep."

But Lila's face brightened all of a sudden. "On the contrary, Arnold. I think you're wonderful!"

"She _does_?" I asked quizzically just at the same time as Arnold responded confusedly with, "Huh? Why?"

"For having the integrity to tell Timberly the truth," Lila answered, then she sat down on the railing of the steps. "Even when it meant that you wouldn't be able to keep going out with the both of us." She looked at Arnold and smiled a little. "I'm oh so impressed."

"Impressed?" Arnold asked just as I said, "She's _impressed_?"

But then Lila turned away and quickly looked back at him again. "On the other hand, I'm ever so certain that I'm equally disappointed in you for letting it happen in the first place, and for taking so long to do something about it." She crossed her arms on the last sentence, and I could have sworn I saw her frown a little bit, which surprised me as I had almost never seen her do that, given her overly good nature. Then she stood up. "Anyway, I'd better be going. See you tomorrow." She started to walk away, then came back almost too quickly. "Oops, I forgot my toucan hat." She laughed a little as she picked up her hat from the railing, then she placed it on her head and walked off.

Almost immediately after Lila left, Gerald and Sid came walking up, both of them carrying baseball gear. Sid was saying to Gerald, "So I told Stinky 'Get your own stinkin' math answers. I paid Torvald good money for mine.'"

As soon as they reached the steps and saw Arnold there, they stopped walking. "Hey, Romeo. How's the love life?" Gerald asked, placing his right hand on his hip while his other held a bat and glove over his shoulder.

Arnold lowered his head and he held it in his right hand. "It's over, Gerald, with Timberly and Lila." Then he removed his hand and sadly looked down at the ground.

"Well, then maybe you can come play baseball with us for a change," Sid said, and casually tossed a baseball into the glove he wore on his left hand.

"Sounds good," Arnold said brightly and got off the steps. He and Gerald did their secret handshake, and then the three of them started walking off together.

"Just us men," Gerald remarked.

"No girls," Sid added.

Almost immediately after Sid said that, Timberly opened up the door and ran up to them. "Hi, you guys. What are you going?"

"Nowhere," Gerald said flatly.

"Can I come?"

"No."

"But you always say that. You never let me come along," Timberly wailed and started crying.

"Hey, Gerald, why don't we let her come along?" Sid asked, then took Timberly's right hand in his left one. "You know, we're just goin' to play baseball."

Though they were getting further away, I had just enough ability to hear Timberly say, "I like you, Sid. You're the nicest boy ever."

* * *

The moment Arnold and the others were out of sight, I was still hiding, but was sitting there in complete silence and shock.

"This is unbelievable in what I just heard Arnold say: he is OVER Lila? He is actually _over_ Little Miss Perfect?" I brought my hands to my face, feeling unable to contain myself with happiness just then. "I…I…I can't believe it! After so much long last, my beloved is _finally_ over Lila! YES!" I clasped my hands together eagerly, then I clenched them into fists and threw them above my head, shaking them excitedly. Then I crossed my arms and smirked, "Well, it's about time he got over her and realized that the two of them were never meant to be. Lila would offer him nothing if they ever got together. So what if they are a lot alike and have so much in common? They would never work, and while Lila treats him better than I do on a daily basis, that doesn't mean right-off that she'd be the better girlfriend." I laughed deviously to myself. "I guess his plan didn't work after all. I was right: he couldn't take what he was doing any longer, and being such a do-gooder, he told Timberly the truth. But I guess Lila's eavesdropping embarrassed him, and maybe this helped him realize he was finally tired of trying so many times to have his feelings reciprocated by her, and they all failed."

I finally stood up from my hiding place and took my locket out of my shirt to gaze at Arnold's picture. "Oh, Arnold, while I'm sure that you must be feeling down since you have decided to get over Lila, I hope you someday realize that you're better off without her." Before I could babble on further, an idea just hit me that didn't occur to me right when I heard Arnold say that his crush was over. "But now that his crush is over, that means…maybe he…and I…yes, maybe now I have a chance. Now that Lila is no longer in my way of having Arnold's affections, I may have less of a chance of being rejected by Arnold if I ever told him my true feelings. But the idea of him possibly rejecting me…I hate to think of that. Still…this is a golden opportunity for me. Should I tell him? When would I have the chance? I don't know…I still don't feel ready. But then again, Dr. Bliss said it's okay that I don't tell him yet." I looked in the direction that Arnold had gone with his friends. "I pray that someday I will gather the guts to tell you the truth, my love. One day, Arnold, you shall be mine, and we will be together." I brought the locket to my lips and kissed Arnold's photo.

But as soon as I finished, I heard the all-too familiar wheezing sound.

I barely glanced over my shoulder where Brainy was, then I socked him again, and he fell to the ground.

Seeing that my work here was now complete, I started to walk in the direction of my house, but I noticed that almost no one was on the street. So I took advantage of that and expressed the happiness I had right then by running really fast and stopping a few times to throw my arms up in the air.

"Someday, Arnold, someday, you _will_ be mine…"

* * *

**So what did you think? I'll mention now that I do have a potential bonus chapter in mind, but it would be set long after this episode and after TJM, when Arnold and Helga are finally together.**

**Would you like to see that?**

**Thanks again for reading, and have a great day!**


	2. Making Amends

Arnold and I walked down the hallways of our school constantly glancing at each other with content and loving smiles. We were holding hands as we walked, linking our fingers together gently. I think Arnold was having a hard time resisting the urge to kiss my hand, especially in a place where others could see us.

If you're feeling confused about all I've said so far, I'll clear it up for you: Arnold has finally reciprocated my feelings and now we're going together as a real boyfriend and girlfriend. Yes, it's true! He's finally mine, _all mine!_

How did it happen, you may ask? Well…

Not long Arnold had ended his crush on Lila (and he didn't know that I'd been stalking him all that day!), I finally confessed to him that I loved him atop the roof of the FTi building (amidst trying to save our neighborhood) and kissed him to prove it! It's all a long story, but we both pretended that it never happened. However, I knew that I couldn't get away from it forever. We both knew that he knew the truth, and I couldn't really take it back.

It seemed like an eternity of waiting before I would finally get a response from Arnold on how he felt, but in the end, during our adventure in the jungles of San Lorenzo, after we finally found his lost parents, his answer was that he felt the same way about me and gave me a kiss of his own!

Needless to say, I was stunned, but ecstatic!

It was also another moment where things between Arnold and I would change forever.

When we started going together, I had started to let down some of my defensive walls, thanks to some encouragement from Arnold, and was being a little nicer to the other kids. Luckily, he said that I could still be assertive and aggressive if necessary so that the other kids would understand that just because I was acting nicer, that didn't automatically mean I was a throw pillow. And if they did start teasing me, I would stand up for myself, but avoid going too far with violence.

And even with my temper and aggression, I still brought it out when it counted most with Arnold's case, especially since he often had his head in the clouds and needed a good push to be more assertive. That part helped a lot, especially during a more recent time when Rhonda, Stinky, Sid, and Harold saw us together and started teasing us. I was afraid and started to push the limit with violence, but Arnold just stood up to them and boldly told them to leave us alone if they couldn't accept our relationship, and the way he did that really shocked them!

While they were the ones who particularly didn't understand our relationship, everyone else just acted cool with it, like they didn't care so much.

Our best friends were especially happy for us, even though Gerald initially worried that Arnold was losing his mind, but Arnold had managed to convince him that I wasn't the bad person our classmates thought I was. He said to Gerald that he didn't have to best friends with me, but at least get along with me for his sake since he knew what he was doing. And since I knew Tall Hair Boy liked Phoebe so much, Phoebe would also be able to convince him otherwise about me, since Pheebs knew me better than anyone.

Brainy was also happy for me, even though he had a weird way of expressing it: just letting out some words in a sentence as he did his usual wheezing and breathing.

But as far as I could figure, there was still one person who hadn't come up to us and commented on my relationship with Arnold…

* * *

I was so lost in my train of thoughts about Arnold and me that I almost didn't see Lila approaching and talking to us.

"Hello, Arnold. Hello, Helga," Lila said cheerfully, like she always did.

"H-h-hey, uh, Lila," I stuttered nervously.

"Hey, Lila," Arnold answered. "How are you?"

"I'm doing ever so well, thank you, Arnold. I'm quite happy to have found you two together, because I have heard about your new-found relationship. I never had the chance to do until now, but I wanted to stop by and congratulate you so you know that I'm oh so happy for the both of you!"

"Thanks, Lila. That's really thoughtful of you," Arnold said.

"Ye-yeah, th-thanks, Lila," I stuttered again, then I nervously tugged at my shirt collar and let go of Arnold's hand. "Um, Arnold? Would you excuse me a moment?"

"Sure, Helga."

I walked away and made my way into the bathroom. I didn't need to use the toilet; I just wanted to get away from Lila, even though I couldn't force Arnold to come with me.

However, as I looked at myself in the mirror, I thought about Arnold. I'm sure he figured out that I ran away because he knew I hated Lila for the time when she was his crush. Even though he assured me he was over her, and that he told Lila himself, I was still afraid that he would someday change his mind about me, especially if Lila ever came up to him and said she changed her mind and wanted to give him a chance.

I thought more and realized that part of why I loved him and needed him was because he was always helping people and giving great advice. I realized that if he were here with me now, he would tell me that I can't run away from this problem with Lila, especially whenever she would be in our presence. I'm sure he would also say that because Lila no longer had his affections, maybe she and I could start over and gradually become friends, like how we got along before his crush on her began.

Before I could answer myself on that thought, I looked in the mirror and saw Lila in the bathroom with me!

"Lila!" I cried out and turned around, shocked to see her.

"Hello, Helga," Lila replied, and looked at me with a little smile.

I scowled at her. "Don't you have anything better to do than sneak up on me like that?"

"Sorry, Helga. I certainly didn't mean to startle you."

"Well, what do you want?" I snapped.

"I wanted to talk to you. I was hoping ever so much to talk to both you and Arnold outside, but then you left." She pointed in the direction of the door, where Arnold probably was outside now.

_Don't run away. Listen to what she has to say._ My conscience was telling me to do that, even though I wasn't interested in hearing what Lila had to say because, despite she was no longer in my way, I still considered her the bane of my existence.

"All right, what is it?" I asked throwing my arms up as if I were defeated, then I crossed them and scowled a little.

"Well, I've wanted to talk to you ever since I heard about your relationship with Arnold," she looked down at her shoes and clasped her hands together. "Helga, I figured you hated me a lot of the time when I had Arnold's affections, even when I didn't return them. I never gave Arnold a chance because, well, he really just wasn't that 'oh so special someone' I was looking for." Then she looked up at me. "But also why I never gave him a chance was because I knew how much he meant to you. Even before you told me you liked him, I had a hunch you did, so I figured you had a special connection to him. I had thought that you needed him ever so much more than I did."

My eyes widened a little in surprise. "Do you mean that, Lila?"

"Yes, I'm ever so serious, Helga." Lila looked at me. "And while you were gone just now, I told Arnold that I wanted to make amends with you both, but especially you, so that I can be friends with you and let you know you have nothing to worry about in regards to my relationship with Arnold. Even if I did like him that way, which I still don't, I would never stand in your way of having him. And he likes the idea, because he's ever so sweet and cares about you so much and wants you to have more enemies than friends."

As she continued to look at me, my eyes widened even more with surprise. "You're…really serious?"

"Oh, yes, Helga. I am oh so serious about this. You don't have to give me an answer now, but I can assure that I mean what I say."

I made my way to the door. "Give me a moment so I can talk to Arnold." As I exited it, I saw Arnold standing right outside. Before I had the chance to say anything to him, he started talking and held his hands up in defense.

"Helga, before you say anything to object, I just want you to know that I think this would be good for you. I am thinking about you, and I think it would be good for you to have more friends than enemies, and I know you thought of Lila as an enemy since she held my affections. But I promise you, I don't like her that way anymore and it was just a crush. I could never have feelings for her the way I have them for you." He smiled at me on that last sentence, then he took my left hand in both of his own hands. "I know you're probably reluctant to do this, given how you felt about Lila in the past, but since things are different, I'm just asking you to give the chance. It's not like you'd have to be best friends with Lila, especially since you have that in Phoebe, but just good and decent friends like I want to be with her. And furthermore, don't think of doing it for Lila; do it for us, but especially for you since I care more for you than myself."

As he smiled at me again, I felt my eyes go wider than they did when Lila was talking to me, then I smiled at him. "Okay, Arnold. I trust you, and if you think this is a good thing for me to do, then I'll give her a chance to be friends."

"I do, Helga. I love you, and I just want to think about what's best for you." He kissed my hand gently with reassurance.

I let out a lovesick swoon to myself, then I gestured back to the bathroom. "Well, I, uh…I'd better go tell Lila my answer."

"I'll wait for you right here," Arnold said, then winked at me. "Good luck."

I walked back into the bathroom and saw Lila still standing there, so I walked over to her. "Lila, I talked with Arnold, and…I'll accept it. I'd like to try and be friends with you, too."

Lila's face brightened. "You will? Gosh, Helga, thanks ever so much. I'm oh too certain we will become good friends over time."

Before I even had the chance to think, Lila came closer to me and gave me a little hug, just like she did when I dressed up like her at Rhonda's one costume party. I didn't want to get all gushy with her, so I just placed my hands on her middle so I wouldn't hurt her feelings. Then I removed myself from her embrace, and while I didn't want to hurt her feelings, I wanted to tell her not to assume we would become best friends. "Just…don't get ideas about getting all chummy and gushy with me right away. Let's just work that out gradually, fair enough?"

Lila nodded. "Of course, Helga. Fair enough."

"Good. Now I think it's high time we leave because Arnold and I are going out."

"Have a good time." Then we both exited the bathroom where Arnold was still waiting. I walked over to him, then Lila started walking in the opposite direction and waved to us. "I'll see you two tomorrow. Bye, Arnold. Bye, Helga."

Arnold took my hand again and waved with the other one. "See you, Lila."

I waved to her with my other hand. "Bye, Lila."

As we started walking again, Arnold squeezed my hand and asked, "Everything okay between you two now?"

"Okay as it can be, hair boy," I said sarcastically, but I also smiled at him.

Arnold smiled back at me. "Well, I'm really proud of you for doing this, Helga. I think it will be good for you. Maybe you'll thank me for it someday."

I scoffed at that last bit. "Suuuurrrrreeee I'll thank you for it someday, football head! That's the day when Abner learns to fly!" But I couldn't help but laugh a little when I said that sentence, and neither could Arnold!

"You and your sarcastic humor, Helga! That's part of why I love you so much." I felt him squeeze my hand again.

Seeing that we were all alone in the hall at the moment, I removed my hand from Arnold's and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Come here, you big lug!" I kissed him with almost as much passion and force as I did when we kissed on the FTi building, but luckily, he reciprocated the kiss, unlike that last time, as I felt him gently hold my arms.

Because of the amount of force, air was quickly becoming scarce, so we reluctantly parted our lips. But we continued to hold each other and share a tender loving gaze as we looked each other in the eyes.

After what felt like forever in a moment of silence, Arnold removed himself from my embrace and took my hand again. "Well, what say we get out of here now and buy a big sundae to share at Slausen's?"

Still smiling at him, I answered with a sweet tone of voice, "Mmmm, a sundae sounds good, especially when I share it with you, my love."

As Arnold and I walked out the doors of the building and headed down the street, I started thinking more about everything that had just happened between the three of us.

_Oh well. Lila may always act like the perfect girl, but that doesn't mean she's perfect for Arnold, like I said once before. At least Arnold has come to realize that now. _I was frowning at first, then I began to smile a little. _But since Lila has assured both of us that she won't stand in our way, maybe this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship…_

_Who knows?_

* * *

**So what did you think of this epilogue?**

**I came up with the idea because I wanted to give the story a happy conclusion. So this take place after TJM, when Arnold and Helga are finally together, and Lila comes up to them at one point because she wants to make amends with Helga and try to be her friend. I got some of the help from SuprSingr's "Blue Eyes," and I really do think Helga and Lila would become friends because Lila wouldn't stand Helga's way of having Arnold, and she wants Helga to know that so there wouldn't be any hard feelings between them. (She never returned Arnold's feelings, so what does that tell you? Maybe she does know how much he means to Helga? I'd like to think that.)**

**Thanks again for reading the whole story!**


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